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These second-gen solar headphones give us hope for a truly cordless future
Urbanista's new headphones and earbuds can be charged indoors and outdoors
If you’re hunting for a new pair of wireless headphones, you have so much more to choose from than just Apple AirPods. The wireless audio market has largely expanded over the past few years, and there are now headphones to cater to seemingly every need. Whether you’re a casual listener or you require musician-caliber technology, you have an abundance of choice. Now, Urbanista is launching a second generation of its popular wireless headphones and earbuds, and it’s making battery concerns a thing of the past.
Almost every pair of good wireless headphones and the best wireless earbuds come with active noise cancellation (ANC). That's a good thing. The world around us is a loud place, and sometimes you need to drown it out. Wherever you use those earbuds or headphones, whether at home, on the job, in the city, or on public transit, your listening experience will be better if less external sound makes it into your head.ANC helps accomplish that. With the press of a button, ANC headphones muffle incoming noise, letting you better enjoy the sounds you want to listen to. When it's effective, it's incredible. Dialing down the ambient noise around you like you'd adjust your media volume is an uncanny experience. But the way it works is even wilder.
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Bose noise-canceling headphones have helped millions fly in peace, but it’s no longer the only company offering high-quality sound isolation. Realizing that the four-year-old QC35 II didn’t quite stand its ground against newer, better wireless headphones, the company recently refreshed the lineup with the QC45s. While they’re very similar to their predecessor, especially from a design standpoint, they boast much-needed improvements like Bluetooth multipoint, a Type-C port, and beam-forming mics for better call quality.
Grab Apple's stylish AirPods Max for $80 less than their usual price
With or without an Apple device, they're still quality headphones
Apple's headphones might work best with its own products, but at the end of the day, its lineup of Bluetooth audio gear is still just that — Bluetooth audio. Whether you're fully invested in Google's ecosystem, or you have an iPad or MacBook Air on the side, you can still take advantage of all the AirPods Max have to offer. Though they usually run for $549, you can grab them from Woot for $80 off the usual price — but you'll want to act fast.
Sony's WH-1000XM4 headphones are, if you believe their many fans, among the very best noise-canceling headphones on the market today. Like the XM3s before them, the XM4s are frequently on sale for well under their $350 MSRP, but they're still usually in the $300 neighborhood or higher. Right now, though, you can snag a refurbished pair for $200 — the lowest price we've seen so far.
Sony’s excellent noise-canceling WH-1000XM4s are the cheapest they’ve ever been
BuyDig is even bundling a 20,000mAh power bank for free
Sony doesn't have the most notable presence in the smartphone game anymore (at least not in most markets), but it does make some excellent audio gear. The company's flagship line of noise-canceling headphones are some of the best around and its latest offering, the WH-1000XM4s, are now at an all-time low price of $248.We wrote very highly about them in our review and awarded a 9/10 for their excellent audio output, extremely effective active noise cancellation, and nifty controls. Sony employs a handy proximity sensor that automatically pauses media when you take them off. Power users will also be happy to learn that the XM4 can connect to two devices and automatically switch between them.
AirPods Max are on a very rare, all-time low discount on Amazon right now
Get some colorful headphones to (almost) match your colorful iMac
Apple's first over-ear ANC headphones, the AirPods Max, are more or less what you'd expect: they sound great, they're really well built, and they're really expensive. High quality, higher price is Apple in a nutshell. If you've been eyeing them but you've been waiting for a nudge, this could be it: they're at a $31 discount on Amazon, down to a historic low of 8.You'll definitely get the most out of these if you have another Apple device — an iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Features like surround sound-mimicking spacial audio and multi-device pairing only work in Apple Land. They'll still sound good on Android, but the bells and whistles are a pretty big part of the package here.
Video calling on Chrome OS is finally going to sound good
Noise cancellation will drastically enhance the audio quality of your video calls
Google is working hard to improve Chrome OS with features that make the system simpler to use, with things like better media controls and easier copy and pasting planned for the near future. But the company also wants to make Chromebooks better at things you might not notice right away, especially when you work from home. One of these upcoming improvements is microphone noise cancellation, which could enhance the audio quality of your video conferences drastically — if you have compatible hardware, that is.
Get Sony's WH-1000XM3 noise-canceling headphones for just $200 ($78 off)
Or even cheaper if you don't mind buying refurbished
They're nearly three years old now, but Sony's WH-1000XM3 noise-canceling headphones are still among the best you can buy. They go on sale pretty frequently anymore, but not usually for this cheap: you can pick up a pair for just $200 today — or $180 for refurbished units.
Bose QuietComfort 35 Series II noise-cancelling wireless headphones drop to $199 for Prime Day ($150 off)
Alexa model, available in three colors
A lot of wireless headphones have been released over the last half-decade, but few have earned reputations as good as the QuietComfort models from Bose. If you've been eying a pair for yourself, but not quite ready to pull the trigger, Prime Day might finally push you over the edge. The Bose QuietComfort 35 Series II wireless noise-cancelling headphones are available for just $199, the lowest this model has ever been.
Tribit QuietPlus 72 headphones review: Cancelling noise and high price tags
Average noise cancellation for a below average price
Wireless headphones have been around for years, but they've taken on increased importance now that phone manufacturers are leaving out the 3.5mm jack. Companies like Sony and Bose have been cranking out great options, but most of those products cost $200 or $300. That money can get you a lot of premium features like active noise cancellation and high fidelity sound — but do you need to spend that much? The Tribit QuietPlus 72 headphones cost just $70 and offer some premium features like ANC and multi-device pairing. However, the construction is lower quality, there are no customization options, and the ANC is merely okay — they don't excel in any one area.
A promo video for Sony's upcoming WH-1000XM4 noise-canceling headphones has leaked, confirming most of the various details we already knew about the awaited XM3 successor, while showing off that near-identical design in action.
Razer Opus review: $200 ANC headphones have no business being this good
Razer's first ANC Bluetooth headphones are a great buy at 200 bucks
Razer sells flashy, designer gaming laptops and accessories, and it's not typically an outfit you'd associate with value — the fanciest version of its Blade laptop costs ,300, and its new Kishi mobile gamepad is 80 bucks. Its Opus headphones break with a number of Razer conventions, though: not only do they sport an uncharacteristically tame aesthetic that doesn't scream gaming, they're also priced extremely competitively at $200.
Sony teardown reveals hot new features due for upcoming WH-1000XM4 headphones
That includes a voice-detecting pass-thru mode and multi-device pairing
Sony's WH-1000XM3 headphones are pretty much the gold standard for over-ear Bluetooth noise-canceling headphones, topping the recommendation lists everywhere, including here. Building upon everything Sony's accomplished (including the derpy name), details surrounding the upcoming WH-1000XM4 have leaked courtesy of a teardown of Sony's Headphones Connect app.
Sony WH-CH710N review: Great noise-cancelling headphones for under $200
A cheaper but decent alternative to the beloved WH-1000XM3
Sony makes some of the best noise-canceling headphones around, especially the WH-1000XM3 (which is overdue for a replacement). The WH1000XM3 is a premium set of headphones that regularly goes for around 0, and competing products like the Bose QuietComfort 35 II and Jabra Elite 85h aren't far behind. While Sony doesn't have a sequel to the WH-1000XM3 ready yet, it does have a new budget alternative: the $200 WH-CH710N.The Sony WH-CH710N offers nearly everything I want out of a pair of headphones, and it does so at a price range that isn't ridiculous. While the sound quality isn't mind-blowing, there's still a lot to like here.
Work from home in peace: Now's the time to invest in some noise-canceling headphones
Block out your in-house distractions
If you're fortunate enough to have a job you're able to do from home, you probably haven't been to the office in a while now. That's good for public health (and maybe good for you if you hate changing out of your pajamas), but it comes with its own challenges. Chief among them: noise. Traffic, neighbors doing yard work, your kids. Noise-canceling headphones won't completely block all of it, but they sure help. Here are some great options.
These noise canceling headphones are $30 right now and perfect for working from home
With schools closing and the kids staying home, you might want to pick up a pair
If you're not already used to it, working from home can be pretty hard, especially if you've got kids around. With school closed and them stuck at home, the same as you, you can't blame them for making a little noise, and that's not mentioning all the other opportunities for distraction. But you can do something about it and keep productivity up while you work to pay the bills. Mpow's H5 Bluetooth headphones have active noise cancellation, and, more importantly, they're just right now at Amazon.We've reviewed them, they're not the best noise-canceling headphones you can get. If you're willing to drop closer to three hundred dollars, Sony's WH1000XM3 are an excellent choice, and miles better. But for some of us, that's a lot of dough to drop on something for work, especially given all the other uncertainties right now.The Mpow H5 are comfortable enough, sound acceptable, diminish (if not outright cancel) outside sounds, and last almost forever on a charge. For $30, the only thing you can really get upset about is the Micro USB port for charging.